Ria del Mouro

Portuguese and São Toméan singer-songwriter, author and visual artist Ria del Mouro creates what she calls “Mermaid Pop”, combining pop with sounds inspired by the sea, water and nature. Based in Munich, her work moves between dark, seductive melodies and wider explorations of femininity, stigma and social expectations.

At the centre of Ria’s artistic world is the siren, which she uses as a symbol for women who have been misunderstood and vilified. Latest release ‘Mermaid Arcadia’ turns that idea towards embracing the parts of ourselves that might be considered whimsical or unconventional. Rather than treating difference as a weakness, the track celebrates finding strength within it – and the realisation that there are plenty of others swimming outside the mainstream alongside you.

Vanessa Tottle

Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland electronic artist Vanessa Tottle creates dense, atmospheric music where industrial grit, trip-hop grooves and darkwave textures meet. Working with loop-driven instrumentation, heavy bass and evocative vocals, she builds immersive soundscapes rooted firmly in shadow and low frequencies.

‘Invisible Rose’ combines moody darkwave synths with downtempo trip-hop, but some of its most distinctive textures come from outside the studio. Vanessa incorporates field recordings captured at a Wellington hotel bar, including background conversation and the sounds of a cocktail being prepared. Woven into the track’s basslines and vocal layers, these everyday noises become part of its late-night atmosphere, grounding its electronic world within the sounds of a real place.

Imy Ellis

Independent pop artist Imy Ellis creates atmospheric songs shaped by relationships, film, television and the contrasting seasons of her East Coast upbringing. Her music draws on dark, dreary winters and fleeting bursts of summer, bringing those different moods into colourful and emotionally driven pop.

Second single ‘Clementine’ explores the familiar “manic pixie dream girl” trope and what happens when a real person becomes somebody else’s idealised romantic fantasy. Turning her attention towards the consequences of placing a partner on a pedestal, Imy looks beyond the appealing image to consider what happens when expectation and reality inevitably begin to separate.

sadspacelord

Georgian independent singer-songwriter sadspacelord creates English-language alternative pop and indie rock with cinematic influences. Working entirely independently from a small studio in Georgia, she writes and develops the project herself, building the musical path she wants to pursue without a label, manager or team behind her.

Latest single ‘Plastic Star’ turns its attention towards artificial perfection and our attachment to carefully constructed illusions. Reflecting on appearances and consumer culture, the track considers what happens when something polished and seemingly flawless becomes an object of admiration despite having little substance underneath. It’s a song about looking beyond the perfectly manufactured surface and questioning what we’re actually being encouraged to value.

EMI

Sarajevo independent artist and classically trained pianist EMI creates alternative pop that combines organic instrumentation with modern electronic production. Taking a hands-on approach to writing and producing, her music occupies the space between intimate songwriting and expansive, cinematic soundscapes.

‘U Don’t Know’ explores the quieter frustration of feeling unseen by somebody within a relationship. Rather than approaching that disconnect through grand confrontation, EMI wraps the emotion in dreamy synths, organic textures and an intimate vocal performance, capturing the loneliness that can exist when somebody is physically close to you but doesn’t seem to truly understand what’s happening beneath the surface.